Historiography Style in Shahnameh Ferdowsi

Some do not recognize Shahnameh as a historical text since being an epic or due to its versified form and despite its mythic sections its historical value is underestimated. This research aims to find answers to the questions regarding the style and the manner o f historiography of Shahnameh, recognize its historiographical characteristics and to show the value and standpoint of Shahnameh in the trend of historiography in Iran. Casting a look upon the ancient Persian historiography, and the first Islamic centuries those characteristics were analyzed to show that the style used in Shahnameh was the continuation of the ancient way in historiography. The method was to search for the historiographical elements and themes in the text, having in mind Ferdowsi’s reasons, purposes and motivation for recording history, bringing evidence from the Shahnameh text and classify them into six sections. The poetic, fictive and mythological aspects of the text and also the ethical and national purposes of Ferdowsi to enliven and immortalize the Persian national identity in no way undermined the historical aspect of the events. Based on these findings it could be understood that apart from sharing the historiographic characteristics of the ancient Iran and its rebirth, Shahnameh has taken this style to its utmost power and efficiency and hence has influenced greatly the histories succeeding it.